"Participating party"
means any person or any duly authorized agent of such person, which is
obligated by contract to acquire from another person providing money,
goods, services or anything else of value, a sales slip, sales draft or
instrument for the payment of money, evidencing a credit card
transaction, and from whom, directly or indirectly, the issuer is
obligated by contract to acquire such sales slip, sales draft,
instrument for the payment of money and the like.